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4 Sheets-Sheet 1. D. C. LUCE.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

No. 519,863. Patented May 15,1894.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. C. LUCE.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Modem NQ. 519,863.'l

Patented May 15,1894( WTNEESES:

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GAS ENGINE.

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'4 Sheets-.Sheet 4. D. C. LUCE.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

110. 519,863. Patented May 15, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DON CURTIS LUCE, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO HARVEY F. CRAWFORD, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,863, dated May 15,1894.

Application nea Apaim, 1893.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, DON CURTIS LUCE, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in gas engines, and the object is to provide a compact, simple and durable structure in which valve-gear and reversing-gear are dispensed with, and in which two explosions take place with each revolutiomwhereby the engine is capable of great speed and power.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter and specified in the claims. l

The accompanying drawings illustrate a construction by which the invention may be carried out.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the engine, with the crank-shaft in section. Fig.2 shows a part elevation, as viewed from the right of Fig. l, and a part section. Fig. 3 shows a top view of the engine. Fig. tshows a central vertical section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, parts being broken out to more clearly disclose the ports in the dierent chambers, and the piston being only partiallyT in section and represented as at the upper end of its stroke. Fig. 5 shows a section on substantially the same line as Fig. 4C, the piston being here represented as at the lower end of its stroke. Fig. 6 showsafragmentary elevation of parts, as viewed from the right of Fig. l. Fig. 'Ipshows a section on line 7-7 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 shows a sectional View of the hot-tubes for igniting the gas. Fig. 9 shows a sectional detail of a diaphragm employed to block explosions. Fig. 10 shows a cross-section on line lO--lO of Fig. 5.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings: the letter ct designates the crankshaft of the engine, which is divided, and on its confronting ends are fixed crankdisks a', which are inclosed within a casing a2. A vertical cylinder b is erected on the said Serial No. 470,319. (No model.)

casing, and a piston b within said cylinder 5o is connected by a pitman b2 with the crankdisk a. The cylinder b comprises a central chamber b3, in which the explosions take place on op'posite sides of the piston b whose central portion fits said central chamber; and end-chambers b4 and b5, Whose diameters are less than that of the4 central chamber, and which are engaged by elongated extensions bs of the piston, and separated from the central chamber by said piston-extensions. The piston is made hollow and open at the upper end, so as to provide a chamber c, in communication with the upper end-chamber b4 of gas supply, and with the lower end of the cen- I tral chamber b3, through the following channels: A pipe f leads from a port f in the upper end of the upper chamber b4, and is connected by an elbow f2,-in which is an upward-open ing check-valve fr-with a short pipe f3, -connected with a three-way coupling f4, in which is an upward-opening check-valve f7. One branch of said three-way coupling below the check-valve is in communication with a gassupply. Another branch of said three-way coupling above the check-valve is connected by a pipe g with the corresponding branch of another threeway coupling g', containing an upward-opening check-valve g2 (see Fig. 6). The branch of said latter coupling below the valve is in communication with an air-supply. A head h is erected on the elbow f2, and contains an upwardopening check-valve 7L. A

short pipe h2 connects said head above the` check-valve h Witha port h3 at thelowerend of the centralchamber b3 of the cylinder. The

said head h also communicates by a restricted passage t' in a tube t" above the check-valve with a hot-tubej, inclosed in an asbestus-lined casing j', and over the iiame of a Bunsen burner k.

The lower end-chamber b5 of the cylinder is adapted to communicate with an air and gas supply, and with the upper end of the central chamber b3, through the following channels: A short pipe m leads from a port fm. at the lower end of the chamber b5, and enters a three-way coupling m2, in which is an upward-openingcheck-valve m6. One branch of said coupling lm2 is connected by a pipe 'm3 with a branch of the three-way coupling g above the check-valve g2. Another branch of the coupling m2 is connected by a vertical pipe m4 with a head m5, in which is an upward-opening check-valve m7. Said head communicates by a pipe n above the check-valve with a port n at the upper end'of the central chamber 19a-of the cylinder. Said `head also communicates by a restricted passage in atube o witha hot-tube l o', inclosed Vin an asbestus lined-casing o2 andV acted upon by the flame of a Bunsen Aburner p. Both of the Bunsen burners 7c and p are supplied with `gas from the same source through pipes q.

The operation of the engine isas follows:- Beginning'with the pistonat the upper end of -the-stroke, as shown in Fig. 4, the downward -movement of the piston draws a fresh supplyof mixed gas and air into thechamber b4, the course of said. gas and air being as follows: The air vlifts the check-valve g2, and passes through the pipe g and into the elbow f4. The gas lifts the check-Valve f7 in said elbow f4, vand the mixed gas and air passes through the pipe f3 elbow f2, (lifting the check-valve f6 therein) and pipe f, to the chamber b4. The parts being now in the position shown in Fig. 5, an explosion takes place below the piston, and the latter is returned upward, and expels the gas and air which it has drawn into the chamber b4, anddrives thesame into the central chamber b3 below the piston. ma the pipe f, the check-valve in the head h, and the pipe h2,'the check-valve f6 blocking the passage to the supply. An explosion takes place above the piston, and the down-stroke of the same compresses the gas and air whichvhas been drawn into the chamber ha below it. This gas andair has communication with the hot-tube j, and, as the piston reaches the end of its down-stroke, such-gas and air is compressed to an extent which `causes the lhot-tube to i-gnite it, and effect an `explosion which returns thepiston upward again. The upward movement recharges the cylinder below the piston, in the manner previously explained, and the burned gas is Aexpelled through the exhaust-orifices d. The upward stroke also draws a supply of airand gas into the chamber-b5, um the elbows f4 and g', and the pipe m3, coupling m2 (lifting the check-valve m6), and pipe m; and the down-stroke expels this supply, and drives it into the centralchamber b3 above the piston, ma vertical pipe m4, head m5, and pipe n. Hence the next upward-stroke of the piston compresses this supply of gas and an explosion is brought about at the end of the stroke, by reason ot the communication with the hot-tube 0. The explosion drives the piston down again, and the burned gas is discharged through the exhaust-orifices d, as a fresh supply is driven into the explosionchamber above the piston, in the manner described. To provide against the possibility of an explosion reaching either of the charging-chambers b4 or b5,perforated diaphragms 1' are inserted in the pipes f and m4, and they will act to block an explosion which might take place in the explosion-chamber on either. side of the piston lwhile'a supply of fresh gas was entering on that side.

It Will be observed that, in this gasengine, an explosion takes place with eachstroke of the piston; or, in other words, two explosions occur for each revolution, which is due to the novel arrangement, whereby the piston not only performs its usual function in driving the crank, but also constitutes a double-acting pump to recharge the combustion-chamber as it is impelled by the explosion. By this arrangement, I produce a very powerful engine, which is capable of greatspeed. The structure is exceedingly compact, and may be included in smallcompass, which especially recommends it for marine use, and wherever economy of space is an item.

The wear of connections between the crank and the piston is taken up through the following instrumentalities: The pitman b2 lits over a two-part bushing s s on a pinin the piston, and over a sleeve t on the crank-pin t', said sleeve having an inclined upper side. The pitman is hollow, and a rod u titsloosely through it, and at its upper end abuts the under member s of the two-part bushing around the pin in the piston, while its lower lend stands over the inclined upper side of the sleeve t on the crankpin. A wedge o is interposed between the rod u' and the sleeve t, and has a straight upper side, engaging the end of the rod, and an inclined under side, engaging the inclined side of the sleeve. The wedge has a stem fv, which extends through a laterally-projecting tubular extension wot the pitmamand aspringw is inclosed within said extension, and acts to press the wedge in between the rod and sleeve. lt will be seen that wear between the lpiston and'crank will v be taken up vby the wedge. A handwheel .fr is mounted on the crank-shaft a, and the engine may be started in either direction by turning this hand-wheel. No reversinggear is necessary.

It is evident the invention may be embodied indifferent forms from that here shown, and is not therefore limited to the particular ICO IIO

construction by which I have chosen to illustrate it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A gas-engine, comprising in its construction a cylinder having an induction-port on one side of the piston and communicating with a fluid-supply, a check-valve between said port and the Huid-supply, and a checkvalved passage adapted in the operation of the engine to aord communication between that part of the cylinder on one side of the piston toward which the piston is advancing and that part of the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston away from which the piston is moving.

2. A gasengine,comprisingin its construction a cylinder having ports on opposite sides of the piston, means of communication between one of said ports and a Huid-supply whereby the piston-stroke in one direction inducts a supply of fluid through said port, and means of communication between the `two ports whereby the piston-stroke in the opposite direction drives the said supply of iiuid to the opposite side of the piston.

3. A gas engine comprising in its construction a cylinder having acombustion chamber in which the piston is reciprocated and charging chambers on opposite sides of the piston and receiving extensions thereof, means of communication between the charging chambers and a :duid supply and means of communication between each charging chamber and the combustion chamber on the side of piston oppositesaid charging chamber.

4. A gasengine, comprising in its construction a cylinder having a central combustionchamber provided with an inlet-port at each end and a centrally-located exhaustport, and charging-chambers at each end of the combustion-chamber and of less diameter than the latter, and each having a port; a piston having a central portion which ts the combustion-chamber and receives the impact of the explosions, and extensions which fit the charging chambers; check valved passages connecting the ports of the charging-chambers with a fluid-supply; and check-valved passages connecting said first-named passages respectively with the ports of the combustionchamber.

5. A gas-engine, comprising in its construction a cylinder having a central combustionchamber provided with an inlet-port at each end and a centrally-located exhaust-port, and charging-chambers at each end of the combustion-chamber and of less diameter than the latter, and cach having a port; a piston having a central portion which iits the combustion-chamber and receives the impact of the explosions, and extensions which tit the charging chambers; check valved passages connecting the ports of the charging-chambers with a fluid-supply; check-valved passages connecting said rst-named passages respectively with the ports ot' the combustionchamber; and hot-tubes communicating by restricted passages with the second checkvalved passages.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 5th day of April, A. D. 1893.

non oURTrs LUCE. 

